Improvement in galvanic batteries



cylindrical cup, B, of porous material.

QAET THEOPHILEOHUTAUX, or PARIS, rnnnon,

IMPROVEMENT INGALVANIC BATTERIES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. T641307, dated June 22,1875 application filed May 12, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOPHILIJ GnUrAUx, of Paris, France, have inventeda new and useful Improvement in Electric Batteries, which improvement isfully set forth in the following specification, reference being had tothe accompanying drawing, in which-- Figure 1 represents a verticalcentral section. Fig. 2 is a plan view.

Similar letters indicate corresponding parts.

My invention consists in the combination, with the porous cup of aBunsen or other similar galvanic battery, of a bent tube, one end ofwhich extends down through a tube affixed to the interior of said cup,terminating near the bottom thereof, the other end being pro vided withan exhaust-bulb, for the purpose of withdrawing the spent liquid fromsaid cup, as hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawing, the letter A designates an earthenware jar, such ascommonly used in electric batteries, within which is placed a This cup Bis preferably provided with a coating of non-porous material for aportion of its length. The porous cup has a greater height than the jarA, and, being intended to receive the acidulated liquid of the battery,it forms a constant feed device to the jar. WVithin the jar A is placeda false bottom, 0, of wood or other suitable material, which is so madeas to admit of the circulation of the liquid in the jar beneath it. Thefalse bottom is supported by means of feet 0 on the bottom proper of thejar. The object of the false bottom is to cause the products ofdecomposition taking place within the jar, and which products have atendency to fall to the bottom, to accumulate beneath it, and by thismeans the lower part of the porous cup B, which rests on the falsebottom, remains unobstructed. From the space formed beneath the falsebottom 0 extends atube, D, upward andoutward through the side of thejar, the tube being given a return-bend, E, so that it is adapted todischarge into a suitable vessel placed alongside of the jar. When thelevel of the liquid that oozes from the porous cup B rises to a higherlevel in the jar than the outlet of the tube D, the pressure of theatmosphere causes that portion of the liquid at or near the bottom ofthe jar to discharge by the tube D, and the liquid carries with it anyproducts of decomposition that may have accumulated. In the presentexample the tube D extends along the inner side of the wall of the jarA; but it may be made to extend along the outer side thereof, if seenfit. Within the porous cup B is placed a strip, E, of carbon, formingthe positive pole of my battery, the outer end of the strip beingprovided with a lead cap, F, or with any other connection for aconducting-wire, 10. On the bottom of the porous cup is placed a disk,G, of carbon, forming the bearing of the strip E, and thus forming acontact with the strip. hen the strip and the disk G have been placed inthe porous cup B with proper relation to each other, the cup is filledwith fragments of retort coal or other carbonaceous matter, as well aswith a suitable acidulated solution, and by this arrangement the pointsof contact may be multiplied, the surface of the positive poleincreased, and the polarization rendered uniform and destroyed. Idesignates the zinc element of my battery, having the form of acylinder, surrounding the porous cup B, and having the usual opening toadmit of a circulation of the liquid. The cylinder is suspended from theedge of the jar A by means of wires cl bent to the form of hooks. ()neof the wires cl has a continuance, 11, forming a conductor and thenegative pole of the battery. J designates a tube, which is bent overand into the porous cup B. This tube extends along the wall, andterminates at or near the bottom of the porous cup, while to the portionof the tube exterior of the cup is connected an elastic bulb, K. By thetube and the bulb K is formed a syringe, and by compressing the bulb thedilute acid may be extracted from the porous cup, or, on the other hand,may be replenished. The main object of the syringe J K is to admit ofextracting from the porous cup any portion of weakened or wasted liquidthat may accumulate in its lower part. The syringe-tube J is placedwithin a secondary tube, f, of glass or other non conducting material.

It may be remarked that the discharge-tube D may also have the form of asyringe.

In connection with my battery I prefer to use an exciting agent composedof a salt of potassium, containing a greater quantity of sulphuric acidthan the sulphate or bisulphate of potassium ofcommerce. This salt isdissolved in water with the bichromate of potassium of commerce inpieces. Thus an exciting liquid is formed and acidulated to the requireddegree. This salt may be used with any other depolarizing product. Theprocess used for obtaining this salt consists in dissolving sulphate ofpotassium of commerce in heated sulphuric acid, the product when coldconstituting the salt.

the purpose set forth.

. tube, j, which is secured in and extends to the bottom of the porouscup, and is made of nonconducting material, substantially as and for T.OHUTAUX. Witnesses:

H. BONNEVILLE,

E. W. WATSON.

